Musical Motivation
by Woffreen
Summary: A collection of drabbles set in the Jak and Daxter universe, using the 10 Song Drabble Challenge. / Jak and Daxter challenge, might be songficish at points. Takes place during different points in the games. Jak x Keira, Torn x Ashelin (kinda). / Rated T for language.
1. If This Was The Last Day

_**A.N.:: **__Hay guys. I've been in a really big fan fiction writing mood lately, it's kind of sad. But I've had no real ideas for anything. But after reading around the J&D collection here, I found one of these challenges. Here's how it works:_

**1. Pick a character, pairing, or fandom you like.  
2. Turn on your music player and put it on random/shuffle.  
3. Write a drabble related to each song that plays. You only have the time frame of the song to finish the drabble; you start when the song starts, and stop when it's over. No lingering afterwards!  
4. Do ten of these, then post them.**

_I've never really drabbled much; my fics take a lot of time and consideration before I really put it to words. But I decided to give it a shot, especially if I hope to kick up my upcoming multi-chapter AC:BH fanfiction. I could use the practice.  
_

_I'll post these up whenever I write a new one. Expect one every few days, I suppose; I'll keep posting chapters until I get up to ten._

_Oh, and that fic that I got this from? Written by jakxkeiraaddict. Go check their stuff out; pretty awesome stories over there._

_So here's my first one. Hope you enjoy. Feel free to review._

* * *

**Like It's The Only One You Got – Three Doors Down  
Length: 4:23  
Genre: Romance  
Character(s): Jak, Keira  
Game: Post Jak II ish  
**

* * *

So much easier thought of than done, a confession.

Jak stood there, outside of the stadium garage, pondering his thoughts as he waited for the aqua-haired girl to emerge from those large sliding doors. The two of them were going to head to the 'Ottsel for a friendly gathering with their little group.

In fact, as of late, he's been doing this a lot lately. Hanging out with her, yes, but not only. He's been considering what he had gone through in the past few months – the war with the Metal Heads, with the Krimson Guard. Sure, it was over now, but… He felt on edge somewhat, even still, after all of this time.

Too many times has he neared death. Too many times he considered the day he lived to be the last of his life.

It seemed, as time went on, that he took life for granted, as something that he could easily pull through, no matter what he had gotten himself into. An arrogant notion, of course. But a notion after all, one that he couldn't shake. It was a way of life for him.

But as he looked into her eyes these days, as he felt the affection he felt all those years before…

He felt like he wasn't living like this was the only life he had.

_I have to tell her,_ he told himself over and over again. _I have to tell her before it's too late._


	2. My Heart Is Frozen, I'm Losing My Mind

_**A.N.:: **__Next one. Decided to challenge myself and go with a Keira POV._

* * *

**Lost – Within Temptation  
Length: 5:14  
Genre: Angst  
Character(s): Keira  
Game: Before the 'Two Years Later' skip in Jak II.**

* * *

_What am I going to do?_ she thought over and over again, striding down the cold, dark streets of this strange city. What happened? Where are they?

_Jak? Daxter?_

_Daddy?_

The trails of already trickling tears thickened as the streaming picked up it's rate, glittering in the blinding flash caused by a crack of lightning just overhead as the bright light ricocheted off the walls and streets. She had been wandering like this endlessly for what felt like lifetimes now, just looking for something, _anything_ to reveal where her father or friends had gone. She was so scared, so vulnerable – traits that were as foreign to this young mechanist as the metal walls surrounding her.

_What am I going to do?_ The thought persisted once again in her mind as she reached up absently and tried to clear the tears from her eyes. Part of her wanted to grab onto the nearest passerby and beg for help, for shelter, anything. But the fear of them shunning her away, or possibly hurting her, called stronger than that former urge, and she decided against it.

She felt so lost in herself. These uncharacteristic, childish fears alienated her own form from her own mind.

All she wanted was to find her way again…

Find her way home.


	3. I'm A Soldier Now

_**A.N.: **I'm a cheater and went a bit over the time limit for this one... I just got carried away and, well, yeah. _

* * *

_**Sound The Bugle – Bryan Adams  
Length: 3:55  
Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort  
Character(s): Torn, Ashelin  
Game: Uhm I guess sometime before Torn quit the KG before Jak II.  
**_

* * *

_Darkness. Silence._

_Numb. So numb._

He couldn't see, he couldn't hear, he couldn't feel. The pain had eventually rubbed all of his senses down to raw nothingness.

_They're dead. They're all dead._

_I failed._

The muffled, shaken sounds of seemingly distant explosions began to echo though his head as if it were a hallow room, the sounds going along the walls, only to fail in its attempt to reach its target. He could hardly register it through the pain.

_I failed. I failed._

He let out a shaky breath he hadn't realized he had been holding in his bruised lungs. He was ready to give it all up. That breath, he wanted it to be his last.

Then a sound.

Distant at first, but through the motionless heart beats pumping in his ears, it grew louder, clearer.

Familiar.

"Torn," she called. "Torn, get up!"

It took a while for it to reach him, but as the distress was detected clear and uncharacteristically in his companions voice, his eyelids flickered open, the icy blue standing out against the bloodshot white.

_No_, he thought. _Leave me. Save yourself_.

A murmur, weak and nearly incoherent, emit from his bloodied lips.

"Ashelin," he wheezed breathily. "Go back. Ashelin, go back."

"You gotta be hit pretty fucking hard in your head if you think I'm going to leave you behind, soldier." He hadn't realized she had come so close until her voice spoke out just above him. He felt himself being dragged up, the small, yet strong hands grabbing him attempting to pull him up and out of the carpet of debris that covered his muscular form.

"Dead," he rasped in protest, using what was left of his strength to fight away from her grasp. "Dead, they're dead. They're all dead."

"I'm still alive, and you're still alive," she snapped persistently.

"Ashelin, please."

"Shut the Hell up and get to your feet. You will not give up on me, damn it. That's an order."

His stubborn nature began to surface itself, but his more weakened and exhausted side took over ultimately and he decided to give up his protesting. Using all of his strength, as little as it was, he managed to get to his feet with the help of the woman at his side. His eyes clamped shut again, trusting Ashelin completely to lead him where he went as he limped with her, arm over her shoulder, energy dying quickly as even this was way too much work for him.

"Ashelin," he croaked weakly, though more audible as he regained his voice. "They.. I failed. They're all dead."

He could hear her let out a sigh – not of annoyance but of distraught sympathy. "Torn," she said, her voice, though upset, holding a bit of triumph that even he could pick up. "We won. The civilians are safe."

"W-what?" He gasped as he stumbled a bit, but she quickly helped him regain his balance. "B-but my men – "

"They're gone," she admit with regret. "But we won this battle. We won, Torn." He felt her emerald gaze on him as she spoke. "You did it."

He forced his tired eyes to open once more as he returned her gaze. They won. The civilians were saved. His men, they were lost, and he should be dead with them.

But the battle was one. The lives that he fought for, that his men fought for, were still there. Their hearts still beating. Their futures secure.

They were free once more.

_And that was worth fighting for._


End file.
